I recently did a followup article to my posts on my Jerome Gambit article, lamenting the lack of information about how an author, or authors, came to label the Jerome Gambit player in Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884 - referred to as "Mr M" v Blackburne, in the May 10, 1884, Illustrated London News - as "Millner". A Facebook post led to a return post with a couple of links suggesting a couple of possible "Milner" players, and some bibliographical suggestions.
Alas, my InterLibraryLoan sleuthing has returned little.
The book Amos Burn: A Chess Biography, by Richard Forster (McFarland, 2004) does, indeed, list a "J. Milner" as playing (color not given) the 13th board in a 31 board match between Yorkshire and Lancashire, at Hudderfield, on March 11, 1899. He accomplished a draw against A. C. Haines.
That's it. (In a book of almost 1,000 pages.)
Add that to finding no "Millner" or "Milner" in Henry Joseph Blackburne: A Chess Biography (McFarland, 2015), by Tim Harding, and I pretty much have what my father used to call "a whole lot of nothing".
InterLibraryLoan also brought me Idel Becker's Manual de Xadrez, which Brazilian chess master Hindemburg Melão, Jr. in his article for the online chess site, SuperAjedrez, and, most recently, in the Facebook post, suggested might have the information I sought. Alas, I found only the game "Amador - Blackburne", that is Amateur - Blackburne. It could be that I was consulting the 4th edition, from 1969, which may have been changed since Becker's 1st edition, from 1948.
It could also be that the information was in the other book suggested by Hindemburg Melão, Jr., Ajadrez a la ciega, by Benito Lopes Esnaola - which the InterLibraryLoan was not able to provide for me.
I sense an upcoming visit to the White Collection, in Cleveland, to further research the issue.
I enjoyed my recent online Jerome Gambit game, and even though the computer had plenty to say about my play, afterward, I enjoyed that, too.
perrypawnpusher - atomsymbol
10 0 blitz, FICS, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
This is a solid move, but I am always glad to see it, because it seems to have a "do it yourself" feel. It is as if Black has reasoned "nobody would seriously sacrifice two pieces in the opening, so it seems reasonable, if not downright scientific, and, maybe, even necessary, to give one back, right away". Thank you.
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7
The knight usually goes to f6, but the text is something that Jerome Gambit regulars such as AsceticKing, Bill Wall, chessmusings, MrBlack, MrJoker, shugart, vlastous and I have faced before, so it is worth being ready for. The Knight provides some protection for the King along the e-file, and leaves the f-file open for Black's Rook.
9.O-O d6 10.Qe3 Rf8 11.f4 Qd7
Komodo 9.02, in blunder check mode, does not object to this move, but it seems to block Black's Bishop, which blocks Black's Rook - a classic weakness in the Jerome.
On the other hand, it provides some restraint on White playing e4-e5, once his Queen has been enticed to the d-file, since the exchange of Queens would dampen any kind of attack. Perhaps Black should have tried 11...Nc6, as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-30).
12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qd3
Done almost as a reflex, and providing support for the pawn at f5, should I play e4-e5, but I probably should have looked at and evaluated 14.Qe2. (14...d5 would have been a good response to any of my choices.) Interestingly, last year shugart chose 14.Qb3 in his game against oritelgavi (0-1, 36).
14...b5 15.b3 Nb6 16.Bg5 a6 17.Nc3 h6 18.Bxe7 Kxe7 19.Rae1 Kd8
Komodo now sees White as having equalized, meaning that it gives the first player some positional plusses in its evaluation to balance out the 2 pawns vs piece material disadvantage. Black lags in development (but he will quickly fix this) and his King is riskily placed.
20.Nd5
Komodo's preference shows how chess computers have improved in their positional play: my move allows opening the e-file, but the computer prefers to see the Knight posted on e6, and suggests, even at the cost of time: 20.Ne2 Bb7 21.Nf4 Rg8 22.Ne6+ Kc8 It then anchors the Knight with 23.d5, with an even game. I need to learn to see the quieter moves.
20...Nxd5 21.exd5 Bb7 22.c4 Re8
Contesting the e-file. It is enlightening to see that Komodo prefers that Black castle-by-hand on the Queenside. The whole line of recommended play - well beyond my during-the-game investigations - ends up with a very unbalanced position which it assesses as better for Black, although White clearly has practical chances: 22...Kc8 23.Qe3 Qf7 24.Qe7 Kb8 25.Qh4 Re8 26.Re6 Bc8 27.Rxe8 Qxe8 28.f6 gxf6 29.Qxh6 Bb7 30.Qxf6 Qe3+ 31.Qf2 Qc3 32.Qf3 Qxd4+ 33.Qf2 Qd3 34.Rc1 Bc8 35.h3 Kb7 36.Kh2 Bd7 37.cxb5 axb5 38.Qc2 Qxc2 39.Rxc2
analysis diagram
I might not be able to hold this position with White, but a good number of stronger Jerome Gambiteers probably could.
23.Re6 Rxe6
This Rook exchange gives up too much. It is fascinating to see what Komodo believes is a better line of play, with Black forcing a draw: 23...Rg8 24.Rfe1 Kc8 25.Re7 Qd8 26.Qg3 Kb8 27.Rxg7 Rxg7 28.Qxg7 bxc4 29.bxc4 Qh4 30.g3 Qh5 31.f6 Ka7 32.f7 Qf3 33.g4 Rf8 34.Re7 h5 35.Rxc7 hxg4 36.Qxf8 Qd1+ 37.Kf2 Qf3+ 38.Ke1 Qe3+ 39.Kd1 and White cannot escape the checks, leading to a draw. Nice, but this was all beyond my assessments.
analysis diagram
24.fxe6 Qe7
White's control of the f-file, his Rook invasion point at f7, the possible invasion by the Queen at h7 (I missed that in the game) and Black's weak back rank all support the assessment that White is winning.
25.Rf7
Even stronger was 25.Qh7 with back rank mate threats, as well as plans to pin Black's Queen with a Rook. Giving up a piece gives temporary respite 25...Bxd5 26.cxd5 Kc8 27.Qc2 The new weakness is the 7th rank and the c-pawn 27...Kb7 (27...c5 28.dxc6 Qxe6 29.Qd2 Qe8 30.Re1 Qd8 31.Re6 Ra7 32.Qe1 Qg5 33.d5 or 27...Qe8 28.Qc6 Qxc6 29.Rf8+ Kb7 30.dxc6+ Kxc6 31.Rxa8) 28.Qc6+ Ka7 29.Rf7 Re8 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Qd7 Rxd7 32.exd7 Kb7 33.d8=Q It will soon be "curtains" for Black.
25...Qe8 26.Qf3
This move is fine, but 26.Qf5 was more precise. Why? Because, after the text my opponent could have surprised me with 26...Qxe6, and, while the move wouldn't have saved the game (27.dxe6 Bxf3 28.gxf3 Ra7 29.d5!?) any kind of suprise can be a weapon in blitz.
26...bxc4
This leads to a quick end.
27.Rf8 Bxd5 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.Qf7+ Kd8 30.Qd7 checkmate
If you know your Jerome Gambit, and can think and move quickly, bullet chess can be a successful arena of play for you.
Check out the following online game from angelcamina, who has a whole minute to get the Jerome Gambit to work for him, and does just fine.
angelcamina - janpecsok18
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
So far, so good for Black - but is this part of a defense he knows, or is this a reflex reaction to the check?
7.Qxe5 Nf6
Reflex. Black returns a second piece, and tries to find his way in an opening he doesn't know - two pawns down.
8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Rf8
Castling-by-hand is a standard defensive maneuver, and maybe Black should have continued.
10.O-O Be6
Sometimes this move is okay, and sometimes it is bad, but it always screams "throw a pawn at me!" to White.
11.d4 Qd7
This might be aimed at preventing f2-f4-f5, or it might be a bit of quick development (the clock is ticking), but 11...Kg8 was probably more consistent.
12.f4 c5
Aimed at the growing White mass of pawns.
13.e5
Or 13.d5
White's position is better, the first player knows what he is doing - and he might even be ahead on the clock.
13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Bf5
Trying to block the dangerous f-file, but Black can not afford to return any more material.
15.exf6 Kxf6 16.Qe5+ Kf7 17.g4 Black resigned
And that's that. Reminds me of the action sequence that "took less time than it takes to tell".
Nicely done.
